A cool vitrinite reflectance model
A basin model describes the thermal evolution of a basin to estimate when its source rocks expel hydrocarbons and of what type. Basin models do so by evaluating a number…
Geology & Geophysics
I talk of dreams
I am a dreamer. I always have been. Though not on the scale of Alexander the Great or Martin Luther King, but I do dream every night, with complex narratives…
Carboniferous-Permian erosive contact, Kowala Quarry, Poland
A spectacular erosive contact between Permian continental conglomerates and Lower Carboniferous marine strata can be observed at the Kowala Quarry in the Świętokrzyskie Mountains, Poland, situated in the southeastern part…
Evaluating the uncertainty in a Saturation Height model
Even the ‘ground truth’ of core data is uncertain when you really think about it. There is nothing better than a lump of rock to look at, touch, smell, or…
Deciphering Earth’s secrets
Faults on geological maps are far more than just lines; they are a critical form of communication, conveying essential information about the Earth’s subsurface structure and tectonic history. Central to…
Tectonically-influenced carbonate platform, Greece
A Pliocene carbonate platform (Rhodos Formation) is exposed in the NE part of the isle of Rhodes, Greece. Sedimentation was largely controlled by faulting relating to a late Pliocene or…
On the HUNT for Somalian core
“Having worked on the first-ever offshore seismic survey in South Yemen in 1976, and seen the results of the first offshore well drilled in Yemeni waters, south of Socotra Island,…
How data analysis and 1D models help understand messy vitrinite data
In my last column, I hinted at a case study, where I was able to interpret likely fluid migration based on temperature and vitrinite data in a single well. This…
Is it a true conjugate fracture set?
Conjugate faults or fractures are a set of shear fractures that formed simultaneously under the same stress conditions. According to Andersonian Fault Theory, this could involve a series of left-lateral…
How we become geologists
Q: How do you know if someone is from the Isle of Man? A: Because they insist on telling you every five minutes! Every geologist has a story as to…
Fault-valve behaviour of petroleum traps
When evaluating fault-bound traps, it is common practice to map around-the-fault pathways through diligent seismic interpretation, juxtaposition diagrams, and 3D structural framework construction. It is also common practice to address…
The geology of Bronze Age epics
A New Year brings new challenges, and for me, that means writing for GEO EXPRO. I am writing after the Xmas break which is traditionally eating, drinking and watching old…